The present invention generally relates to bird feeders, namely tubular bird feeders. More specifically, the present invention relates to feed port members and mesh inserts within the feed ports for such tubular bird feeders.
In the bird feeder industry, tubular bird feeders are well known. These feeders include a tubular main feed body which is commonly transparent or translucent so the amount of feed remaining therein can be easily seen. Feed ports in the tubular body permit birds to gain access to the feed therein. A tubular bird feeder also typically includes a number of perches routed through or attached to the tubular body to support a bird during feeding through one of the feed ports.
A tubular bird feeder typically has an open top and bottom end. The top end is covered by a removable cap or lid so feed may be introduced into the tubular body. Bails are also provided so the feeder can be hung from a support, such as a hook or other structure. The bottom of the main tubular body is also closed, typically permanently, by a bottom base or cap. This base is usually screwed on, riveted or otherwise fixedly secured to the bottom of the tubular main body to keep it closed. A post mount can be provided in the bottom of the bottom cap. Typically a post mount is threaded into a female-threaded aperture in the bottom of the base.
The feed ports usually are permanently attached to the tubular body by a variety of methods. The feed port may include a frame for attaching to the tubular body, and a mesh portion. The mesh portion is typically selected to accommodate a certain range of size and type of bird feed mixes. Of course, the type of bird feed mix will determine the range of birds which will be attracted to the bird feeder. Therefore, the size and type of bird feed mixes that a bird feeder can accommodate will determine the limited range of birds that it can attract.
These known tubular feeders suffer from various problems that make them difficult to clean. Remaining amounts of feed typically accumulate at within the bird feeder including around the feed ports. When this feed mixes with rain, and the like, the feed around the feed ports becomes packed and dirty making it difficult, if not impossible, for birds to access it. Moreover, once the feed is wet and/or dirty, birds may not even wish to consume it. Since the feed ports of these known tubular feeders are secured to the tubular body, they are difficult to remove. If a feed port is permanently secured to the tubular body, it will not be able to be removed without possibly causing damage to the bird feeder. Threaded fasteners, rivets and other permanent devices are used to secure the feed ports to the tubular body. These fasteners require tools, such as a screwdriver or wrench, to remove the feed ports for cleaning the feeder. The requirement of tools increases the burden of cleaning a feeder and further makes a bird feeder owner less likely to clean their feeder. If, for example, rivets are used, it may not even be possible to remove the feed port at all to gain access to the interior portion of the feeder.
Bird feeders, specifically tubular bird feeders, are often difficult to clean due to its constructions. In most tubular bird feeders, the feed ports are permanently attached to the tubular body. To clean the tubular bird feeders, a user will often bring the bird feeder indoors to completely immerse the bird feeder in water which requires additional time and effort. Another method for cleaning the tubular bird feeders is to use a garden hose or faucet outdoors by spraying water into the interior of the bird feeder which often further pushes the seed into the feed port area which is difficult to remove.
Some feed ports are integrally constructed with the tubular body, making it more difficult to effectively clean the feeder. Thus, the feed port and the area surrounding the feed port are particularly hard to clean. To further cause cleanliness problems, feed ports are often formed of a separate construction from the tubular body.
Therefore, it is highly desirably to not only gain access to the feed ports of a bird feeder to clean it thoroughly to remove all of the dirt, grime and bacteria that has collected. Also, it is desirable to change the feed ports, based upon the mesh used, which will impact the types of bird feeder mixes that it can use effectively to attract birds. It is also desirable for a user to be able to easily change the feed ports for aesthetic reasons which are pleasing to a bird or a bird feeder owner. However, it is not possible to disassemble prior art feed ports from the tubular body because they are permanently attached thereto. As a result, there is a need for a feed port for a bird feeder than be easily detached from the tubular body so that it can be quickly and easily cleaned.
Also, there is a desire in the art of bird feeders to simplify and customize the assembly of feed ports to the bird feeders. As stated above, feed ports can be either integrally attached to the tubular body or permanently affixed thereto by rivets, fasteners and the like. There also needs to be a way to easily change a feed port so that a user can use a different variety of bird feed mixes and thereby attract a wider range of birds. Furthermore, there is a need for a feed port and mesh configuration where a frame of the feed port can be attached to a wide array of mesh sizes and shape to suit the user's preferences for purposes of using a variety of bird feeder mixes or aesthetic reasons.
For example, there is a desire for the same feed port to be used, but the mesh can be interchangeable depending on the seed type to be placed in feeder. Also, there is a desire for the same feed port to be compatible with feeders of different sizes to facilitate the manufacturing process by reducing the number of parts across a line of feeders. Also, it is possible that the user may wish to change the color of the feed port or mesh to, in turn, change the appearance of the feeder to add interest or, perhaps, attract different types of birds to the feeder.